It may have been Tamaqua Borough Council's shortest meeting on record Monday night.

Five minutes after the special meeting was called to order, the borough had a new police contract and another full-time patrolman.The contract, which will run from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2020, was unanimously approved. Councilman Dan Evans was absent.The contract calls for a 4 percent pay raise in the first and third years, with 3 percent raises in years two and four.There is also a new "position" and pay tier.In the past, there were three pay tiers - patrolman, corporal and sergeant for the union bargaining unit members.There will now also be the position of starting patrolman.The change was made to improve the salary of new hires, while also saving the borough money by eliminating a wage progression clause and lowering the starting salary.The newest patrolman is Christian DeAngelo of Kaska. He has been working in Tamaqua as a part-time officer since Aug. 16, 2016.DeAngelo is a 2015 graduate of Albright College, where he majored in criminology and environmental studies, with a minor in sociology.He completed his Act 120 training at Lackawanna College in Scranton in June 2016.On being hired full time, he said, "I've enjoyed being here as a part time officer and have already learned so much from my fellow officers. There were several other departments, looking to hire full time, but this is the position I really wanted."Even before I came here part time, I heard so many good things about the department, the chief (Rick Weaver) and the men. I also like the town and the people," DeAngelo said.DeAngelo's official date of hire will be Jan. 31, 2017.